Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Louis’s blood ran cold. He knew he shouldn’t have been so stupid and listened to him, but he did, and now he was facing the consequences. Consequences that couldn’t have stayed online as he heard a knock at his office door. The way the sound of the hand felt heavy on the door, like it was a wannabe lazy knock that actually ended up being strong. It had to have been Ibuki’s hand.

Sure enough, when it was Ibuki who was cautiously opening the door, Louis wasn’t surprised in the slightest. The worried expression that Ibuki kept poorly hidden wasn’t a surprise either. The small glare that Louis tried to keep hidden behind a stern look was just another part of the routine they had going on. If Ibuki was coming in here to talk about what Louis thought he wanted to talk about, then it was all as per usual. Which Ibuki was. He was predictable. At least most of the time, he was.

“Boss,” Ibuki started. The uncertainty in his voice only fueled Louis’s annoyance. Usually he would try to be nicer to Ibuki, but after what happened, which wrongfully exposed him for all of his pride to see, he wasn’t exactly in the mood to be nice. “Is it true?”

Louis wanted to deny it—to yell at each and every lion in his pride that it wasn’t true. Yet it was true. Agata knew it was, the anonymous source knew it was, and even Louis knew it was. Ibuki had to have known it was true.

“When have they ever been wrong?” Louis sighed. He didn’t want it to be this way. Hell, he didn’t know if he ever wanted it out. Yes, it was bound to happen, but he thought he had a good while until it would actually happen. He also didn’t think it would be a third party revealing it. Someone who had nothing to do with the situation revealing something so intimate felt wrong—inhumane, even.

“Are you sure?” Louis couldn’t tell if Ibuki was asking Louis to lie and tell him the text was wrong or if he was asking him if he was sure about his relationship. Either way, he didn’t know if he could provide Ibuki with the answer he was looking for.

“Ibuki, I’ve told you countless times to try not to involve yourself with my affairs.” Louis was biting back a wild range of emotions. He just needed to keep it professional, and then the moment Ibuki left, he could let everything out.

“I know; I can’t help but be concerned.” Ibuki took a step closer to Louis.

There was muffled talking coming from outside his office. Judging by the small whining one voice had and the deeper, stern voice, Louis could tell it was Hino and Dolph. Hino, who Louis wasn’t about to be on good terms with.

“You’re concerned about me making out with Agata, yet when Hino sleeps with ten different guys in a month, that’s okay?” Louis figured this was a start. He would say that he didn’t like to be petty, but then he’d just be lying.

“This isn’t about Hino.” Ibuki said it rather calmly. It pissed Louis off how the lion would defend any other lion in their pride through tooth and nail, but whenever it came to defending Louis, he seemed hesitant. At least to Louis’s face. Agata told him that Ibuki went off on him once since he was talking about Louis in a way that made it sound like he wanted to eat him. Though Louis was convinced that never happened and that Agata was just trying to make the deer feel better.

“This isn’t? Then why does he keep texting this shit? I didn’t ask to have my relationship outed like that!” Louis’s emotions were slowly dripping out of him. This was getting bad fast. If he kept it up, he could end up yelling, or worse, crying, in front of Ibuki.

“He’s denied it. We don’t have any proof that it’s him.” Ibuki continued to defend Hino.

“Then who? If it’s not him, who is it? I know Agata wouldn’t out us, you—god, if you did this, you’d be dead—but also, you’re way too caring; Dolph doesn’t care about drama; Dope is too much of a pushover to do something like this; Free is frankly too stupid; Sabu is too old to even properly text; I never see Jinma with his phone; and Miguel is way too empathetic to do so. Hino loves gossip and drama; he’s watched the damn show, and he’s always in everyone’s business.” Louis ranted on about how the anonymous texter had to have been Hino.

“We don’t know that.” Ibuki kept denying.

That was it; Louis was actually going to lose it. He shook his head before getting up and pushing Ibuki out of his office. Ibuki allowed Louis to do so, only letting Louis know that he supports him and Agata and that he’s ready to talk to Louis whenever he is. Which, in Louis’s head, he would never be ready to talk to him.

Once the door was shut, he sat back in his chair and started crying. He knew he was ugly crying, as he soon felt snot drip from his nose along with the occasional, pained sob that slipped his throat.

What didn’t help was when he pulled out his phone, reading the stupid text again, ‘Seems like some cat got Louis’s tongue, literally! Spotted: Louis and Agata sharing more than just a passionate kiss out back in the moonlight. This cat is out of the bag and the closet! x.o.x.o. Gossip Beast.’

It got even worse, as there was an image of the two. Agata was sitting and leaning back on the railing to their deck, while Louis sat between his legs. They were both barely visible as it was dark out, but you could faintly make the two out.

He needed to figure out who did this. Before, he didn’t care too much; it was mostly stupid gossip, which didn’t affect him. It was all stupid stuff like Miguel taking steroids, Free looking at a male jaguar, and Sabu having an insanely high kill count; it was all stupid and irrelevant to him. Sure, there were a couple of pieces about him, but most were about dumb, minuscule things that wouldn’t matter in a couple of years, but this, this was not only an attack on him but also the guy he loved.

Agata had told him in the past that he was scared to come out; he somewhat feared rejection, but he was mostly scared of people acting differently around him, whether they meant to or not; he hated it. He also mentioned not wanting the others to look at him differently for liking an herbivore or trying to talk him out of the relationship. Louis didn’t want any of that to happen either, and the text that was sent out not even an hour ago seemed like it wanted the opposite of what they wanted.

Louis was so sure it was Hino, but a couple of texts made a small bubble of doubt form in his stomach. There were texts about Hino being more than friendly with the infamous doctor of the black market, being transgender, and getting an STI the one time it happened. It also didn’t help that Ibuki was sure it wasn’t Hino. If it wasn’t Hino, then that would be a problem, as Louis wouldn’t know where to begin looking. He supposed he could start with Hino, just to be sure.

He wiped his tears up and dried off his face before he went out of his office and saw that Hino wasn’t where he last heard him. He quickly made his way to Hino’s room, knocking on the lion’s door. When he got no response, he was going to leave, but that was until he heard faint music coming from the room. It sounded like an older pop song, something before Louis’s time; it was probably from the early 1990’s.

He slowly opened the door, peering in. When he caught a glimpse of the room, he realized he’d never actually been in the lion’s room before. There was a lot of white and pink going on. The walls were a dusty pink, while he had white flooring. His bed, which he was lying on, was a white canopy bed with light pink sheer curtains and pink bedding. His room looked feminine, and Louis didn’t see much of anything feminine when it came to the Shishigumi. It was honestly a tad refreshing, though Louis would never admit that.

He stepped into the room to see Hino cuddling with an oversized lion plushie. He remembered Dolph winning that plushie at an amusement park game the one time they went to one. Ibuki had gotten tickets for half the price, and Louis couldn’t resist the lion’s pleading eyes. The game was some ring toss game that Free claimed was rigged, yet when Dolph went up to try, he won it as well as the largest stuffed animal they had to offer. Dolph didn’t want the prize and noticed that Hino seemed to have his eye on it, so he gave it to the lighter-furred lion. Louis could also recall that Agata looked a little disappointed, like he wanted the stuffed toy, but he didn’t express his disappointment until later, when it was just him and Louis.

Louis went back to the game, spent almost three hundred dollars on it, and didn’t win anything. Louis concluded that Free was right; the game was rigged. Agata wasn’t too upset, as he claimed he was just happy that Louis tried, even if it was a bit excessive, and that Louis was his prize. Louis ended up giving him a light and playful smack on his chest before he told him to shut up.

Louis had to remind himself why he came in here—to confront Hino. Though the lion looked passed out as he was letting out small snores with closed eyes. Louis made sure to approach him lightly, not wanting to suddenly disturb him. The more he walked into the room, the more he got to look around. He saw a vanity that was the only messy thing he could see in the lion’s room. It had a handful of products that looked to be skin, fur, and mane-care related, as well as a lot of makeup and other beauty-related products. Louis never cared for his own attractiveness, as he felt most of it just came naturally to him through good genetics. It made him start to wonder if Hino couldn’t say the same.

He then noticed one of Hino’s walls was filled with pictures of his life. It looked like one massive collage that was still in progress. Some pictures were of places he’d been; most were Shishigumi members. He even had a couple of Louis. What really caught his attention was the fact that most of his photos were of Dope and the way he photographed Dope versus the rest of them. It was like he gave Dope a special light. A certain type of emotion was plastered all over those photos. Love.

When Louis looked at the desk in Hino’s room, he saw paintings; most were standard paintings of environmental scenery, some of random animals that Louis had never seen before, and there were a couple of Dope. The paintings of Dope reflected the same emotion as the photos, but they seemed more passionate. And how could it not? Not when each stroke of paint felt more intimate than the last.

Louis had heard that Hino was a painter, but he’d never seen any of the Lions works. Seeing them now, he felt like he was intruding on something personal. If Hino really was the one behind those texts, then how could he not see the parallels between him and Dope, with Louis and Agata?

“B-Boss?” Hino barely got out, as he was still waking up. Louis hadn’t realized that the white-furred lion had woken up.

“I wanted to talk to you.” Louis stated it with as much emotionlessness as he could muster.

Hino blinked a little while staring blankly at Louis. He then spoke, “Sure, what’s up?”

The older male then sat up and patted a spot next to him, offering Louis a place to sit. The deer was hesitant but decided to take it. When he sat down, he couldn’t help but notice how nice the silk bedding felt to his fingertips. It reminded him of his bed back home, but more pink.

“I’m assuming you’ve read that text about Agata and I?” Louis knew the answer was going to be yes, but he wanted to ease Hino into his questions.

“Uhm, yeah.”

“Should I also assume you wrote it?”

“No,” Hino’s eyes narrowed. “If you came here to accuse me of sending those texts, then you can just leave, because I don't know who they are, but they’re not me.”

“Why should I believe that?”

“Why would I out you guys? I’m not straight; I’m not even cis. I didn’t want anyone but the people I was sleeping with to know, because it’s nobody else’s business. Just like you and Agata are nobody else’s business.” Hino was getting a little emotional.

Louis still didn’t know if he should believe him or not, so his only response was to stare at him blankly.

Hino let out a small sigh, “I would never out someone who didn’t want to be outed. It’s a horrible feeling that I know too well. Ever since that text outed me, Jinma has been treating me differently. I know he’s not doing it on purpose, but it still hurts that he doesn’t view me as a man anymore, even though I look nothing like a woman.”

Louis was surprised by Hino’s rambling and how open and honest he was with the deer. Louis could never be open like this with anyone, and here Hino was doing it with someone that he didn’t interact with on his own that much.

“If it’s not you, then who?” Louis hoped that Hino would have an idea—at least a guess. He needed something to point him in the right direction.

“I wish I knew,” Hino let out a small yawn. “I mean, Miguel knows everything about everyone; I doubt he’d do this, so maybe he’s been talking to someone?”

Louis nodded. He agreed that Miguel probably wouldn’t be texting them all a mock-up gossip beast for the Shishigumi, but he could’ve been spilling people’s secrets to someone.

“Louis?” Hino asked. Louis noticed the lion addressing him by his name rather than his working title, which he didn’t usually do.

Louis just stared back at him, not feeling like verbally replying to him.

“Are you doing okay? I know it’s not exactly a pleasant feeling to be outed like that.” Hino empathized with Louis.

Louis contemplated just staying quiet and not answering Hino at all. He then decided that would only be counterproductive and that he should answer him, “I’ll be fine.”

“You’re not fine.” Hino whispered. The way he said it so quietly made it seem like he didn’t want Louis to hear it. Although he did say it out loud, which meant he wanted the deer to hear it at least a little.

“I didn’t say that.” Louis’s brows quickly furrowed. What was Hino getting at? Was he trying to piss him off, or did he have some other motive?

“Saying you’ll be means you aren’t currently, but it’ll happen in the future.” Hino stated it so matter of fact like. It almost pissed the red deer off. Almost.

Louis sat there quietly for a few seconds, not knowing how to respond. And who could blame him? Hino had just called him out for not feeling okay. It didn’t seem like he had any malice behind it, but regardless, he was still called out for his feelings.

“Hino, stop.” Was the only response Louis could give.

“Sorry,” Hino apologized before his eyes went wide. "Oh, Rex, have you talked to Agata at all?”

Louis shook his head, indicating that he hadn’t reached out to Agata. He thought about it, but a part of him wanted to wait for Agata to reach out to him first. He didn’t want to be the reason why the young lion freaked out even more. Even if he felt a little bad for not reaching out to him.

Hino instantly went on his phone and texted Agata. Louis knew the two had been getting closer lately; Agata had practically talked Louis’s ear off about it. It made Louis happy that Agata had someone else to confide in, besides Louis and Dolph. Louis could only really listen; he wasn’t that good at giving advice. And from what he knew about Dolph, he would always give advice. The way Agata talked about Hino made it seem like the white-furred lion was a good in between.

Louis then got off of Hino’s bed before speaking to the lion one last time before he left, “I’m going to find Miguel.”

Before Louis left the room, Hino spoke up again, “I’m here for you, Louis. If you need someone to talk to, or if you just want someone to be by you, I’ll be there.”

Louis closed the door behind him, choosing not to respond to Hino. Realistically, he knew he’d probably never use Hino as a resource, but some part of his brain felt good knowing that he had someone to turn to if he needed it. Maybe if Ibuki was acting like his dad again and if something was going on with Agata.

For now though, he needed to focus on finding Miguel and trying to see what the older lion could offer. Just like Hino, he was sure Miguel wasn’t the one texting those things, but Miguel could’ve most certainly been telling the person who was behind the texts. Only thing is, Miguel seemed to be equally close to everyone. Which meant that he has about an equal chance of telling anyone.

Oh well, Louis will just have to find it out for himself, like he usually did.

Chapter Text

Louis didn’t have to do much of a search to find Miguel. He headed straight to the Shishigumi’s rather nice home gym and found him working out with Dolph. He needed that to change, as Louis didn’t want Dolph to be there.

“Miguel?” Louis asked once he got close enough to the two lions. Dolph already had his attention set on Louis. Miguel seemed to be a little too focused on his workout, as he didn’t even notice Louis until Dolph lightly elbowed him in the stomach.

“Yeah?” The older lion sounded tired, and if what Agata had told Louis was true, about how Miguel would be in the gym for hours on some days, then the deer couldn’t blame him for his exhaustion.

“Can I talk to you alone?” Louis asked. He was sure that he and Miguel would go elsewhere, but when Dolph started making his way to the door without saying a word, Louis knew they’d be talking in the gym. Not that he had anything against it, besides the faint odor, but that was to be expected with workout areas.

Miguel was still sitting on his workout bench while he looked up at Louis, waiting for the deer to start talking.

Louis let out a small sigh. He didn’t exactly know how to start the conversation, but he was sure the lion wasn’t going to start talking first. “So, I’m assuming you’ve seen that text about Agata and I?” Louis tried to keep his eyes on Miguel, trying to show him that he was in charge, yet when he spoke, the only thing his eyes wanted to do was wander to the floor. He didn’t let this happen; he couldn’t, but his head was screaming at him to do it anyway. The uncomfortable subject matter, on top of how his brain suddenly wanted to fixate on how muscular Miguel was, was not a good combo for making Louis all that comfortable.

“It’s not my business.” Miguel stated. Louis wished Miguel would’ve just given him a simple confirmation or denial since that would’ve been easier to address than what the lion had responded with.

“I know. I’ve already gotten told that it’s nobody else’s business,” Louis responded back, thinking about what Hino said earlier. Hino, who Louis would love to talk to again instead of Miguel. He didn’t understand why it was suddenly so hard to talk to Miguel. The lion was supposed to be the easiest to talk to. The Shishigumi would often joke that he was their instant demand therapist since he was almost always available and super easy to talk to. Though Louis was finding it to be the opposite right now, “I’ve just gotten fed up with those texts. I’m sure we all are. I doubt you’re the one behind them. However, you seem to know a lot about all of us. So you could be leaking information to whoever is posting those texts?” Louis didn’t want it to sound like a question; he wanted to make it a statement, but he was just so uncomfortable.

He started wondering if it was his herbivore instincts kicking in, but those felt different. Those felt like running away or submitting. This one felt like something inside of him had died, and now he had to carry the corpse with him until he got done with Miguel.

“I don’t really go around telling people about other people’s secrets.” The way Miguel worded it made Louis suspicious. Keeping the word “really” in that sentence made it seem like Miguel had done it at least a couple of times, if not more.

Miguel’s response then made Louis get hit with a realization. Miguel knew about Louis’s past.

About a month ago, Louis had actually gotten drunk for the first time in forever and he was going into more details about his past to Ibuki. Miguel happened to show up, and he didn’t stop talking about it. In fact, he started all over from the very beginning, just so the older lion could know every single detail about his past. If Miguel was leaking information, who’s to say that he hadn’t already leaked that and it was just sitting in the drafts of the anonymous texter?

He didn’t understand how he could’ve been so careless and stupid. Sure, he was so drunk that he could barely stand, but it was still reckless. Drinking was reckless. This all only reminded him to not seriously drink ever again.

Miguel decided to speak up before Louis could, “I only do it when I’m concerned for someone, like the time Agata had to go to Gouhin because he had a deep cut in his leg.”

Louis remembered that. He could also recount that Agata had hurt himself on his own volition. This happened right after they started dating. Agata didn’t know how to deal with stress properly, so he resorted to self-harm. Louis knew that the youngest lion was still doing it to this day, but he’d been doing it less and less as he was slowly trying to recover.

Anyway, Agata went to Miguel after being scared that he was going to bleed to death, and he was against the idea of going to Gouhin since he didn’t want others to know. Though once Miguel talked to Dolph about it and Dolph talked to Agata about it, he ended up being convinced to go. Agata played it off like he was helping Miguel in his garden and was using a tool improperly, causing it to cut him. Later on, he told Louis the truth, mentioning that Miguel knew it from the start.

“Who?” Was the only thing Louis felt like he could get out of his mouth. He was so sure that Dolph’s name was going to come out of Miguel’s mouth, but some part of it hoped he would say someone else’s name.

“Dolph, but I don’t think he’s the one doing that.” Miguel admitted.

Louis felt himself relax a little, though only a little. He agreed with Miguel that Dolph was most likely not the one behind the texts. If he were, he would’ve been a genius, as it would be the most out-of-character thing he could do. Well, that, and get sober.

“Nobody else?” Louis needed to ask. Maybe Miguel told someone else something a couple of times, or maybe he would tell Dolph these things while someone else was in the room. He wanted somebody else other than Dolph. He would love to have a reason to talk to Dope. Hell, he would even take Free over Dolph. Louis wasn’t about to be picky.

“No, but if I remember anything else, I’ll let you know.” Miguel gave Louis a small, almost empathetic smile. It made Louis so angry yet anxious.

He nodded at Miguel before he left. Getting out of that gym made his nose happier, but his mind seemed to remain in there as he could only think about Miguel and Dolph. He had been trying to discreetly avoid Dolph since the night he saw him doing something that Louis somewhat wished he hadn’t seen. And now, he was supposed to confront the lion.

Dolph didn’t do anything bad. Otherwise, Louis would’ve been avoiding Ibuki too. Louis was just unfortunate enough to get into a fight with Ibuki, and when he wanted to sort of apologize to him, he saw Ibuki in Dolph’s lap, while Dolph was kissing and biting all over Ibuki’s neck and shoulders.

Louis’s sort of apologies consisted of him physically letting others know that he’s sorry, rather than verbally. He was planning on being with Ibuki for a little bit, letting Ibuki do whatever he wanted with the deer, which usually meant Ibuki and him watching a movie together until Ibuki fell asleep on some part of the deer’s body, like his legs or his lap.

In all honesty, he wasn’t even against the idea of Ibuki and Dolph. He just felt betrayed that Ibuki would get with Dolph behind his back. He didn’t have romantic feelings for Ibuki; he viewed the lion more like a father figure than anything else, which is probably why it hurt so much. Louis would rarely see his own father, and when he did, Oguma would tell him all these big life changes that'd already happened. Louis knew Oguma didn’t care about Louis, but it still hurt the Red Deer when the deer who was supposed to be his dad would mention heavy topics so casually at dinner. What made things worse was the fact that the topics were always after the matter was tended to. It made Louis feel like his father didn't want him to have a say in anything. Louis couldn't blame him for thinking that way, though, since the first decision Louis made for himself was to run off with a gang.

Ibuki sneaking off with Dolph made Louis feel the same way. He was scared that one day he would question Ibuki, and the lion would deny that him and Dolph dating because they were actually married, and they got married while knowing Louis. The deer was aware enough to know that it was a stupid fear. He could fear anything in the world, but he was currently scared that Ibuki would go off and marry Dolph behind his back.

Suddenly, he noticed that he was standing in front of Agata’s door. He guessed he subconsciously made his way to the youngest lion’s room while he was deep in thought. Agata almost always calmed Louis down, so it didn’t surprise him one bit.

He slowly opened the door, peering inside. He saw Agata snuggled up against a pillow that had one of Louis’s t-shirts on it. He remembered Agata asking for his shirt, and at first Louis was confused. Agata couldn’t fit into any of Louis’s clothes, so he questioned the lion on why he needed it. When Agata explained that he wanted it on a pillow to cuddle with when Louis was away, Louis understood. Although he was hesitant to give Agata one of his shirts, but he eventually agreed. Previously, he had never actually seen Agata cuddling with it. He always saw it lying on his bed. Though now that he had seen the sight, he thought it was completely and utterly adorable.

“Lou?” Agata’s voice was hoarse. It sounded like he’d been crying. The lion’s face confirmed what his voice had been hinting at, as he had tear-stained cheeks.

Louis went to Agata’s side as soon as he saw how upset the Congo Lion was. “I’m here.” Louis whispered as he opened his arms, causing Agata to climb onto his lap.

The lion was heavy; he was over twice the weight of Louis, but the deer wouldn’t say anything.

“I really want to say I hate Dolph, but I don’t. He’s just—“ Agata cut himself off with a sob. Louis was selfishly glad that he wasn’t the only one having issues with Dolph, but the thought made him feel bad. Agata and Dolph were close, having an almost father-son type of bond. The two of them rarely got into fights with each other, so this was an unusual occurrence for them.

Louis didn’t know how to respond. Despite him being an actor, he couldn’t deal with emotional stuff all that well. This became especially true when he had to use his words. He was better at using his body to get others to feel less emotional.

Louis started running his fingers through Agata’s mane while he kept his other hand on the lion’s lower back. Agata’s tail went up the deer’s hand on his back and brushed up against the arm connected to it before lazily wrapping around the same arm. They both didn’t speak while this happened. Agata only let out small sobs and whimpers, while Louis stayed completely silent.

“Lou?” Agata called out after a while.

“Yeah?” Louis responded. He kept his hands in place, not wanting to move unless the other did.

“You know I love you?”

“I know. I love you too.” Louis said it so smoothly, as if he had preformed the string of words. He still felt a bit weird having someone to say that to and be genuine about it. He didn’t feel uncomfortable or unhappy saying it, he was sure that he needed time to adjust it. All he needed to do was to get used to saying it, then it would feel more natural with the words coming out of his mouth.

Agata shook his head slightly. “Dolph thinks we’re confused, or you’re using me.”

“How would I be using you?”

“Beats me,” Agata let out a small, unsteady breath. “I think it’s ‘cause you’re my boss, but honestly, I’ve viewed you more like a friend from the start.”

Louis stayed silent, not knowing how exactly to respond. He did view Agata as his subordinate at first, but the more he got to know the lion, the more he viewed them as equals and even as friends. And of course now he viewed him as his lover, which became apparent when he’d sometimes forget that he’s supposed to be his boss.

“Me too.” Louis agreed quietly. Agata let out a small purr after hearing that. He then let out a small choke. It was like he was trying to get himself to stop, but then he must’ve changed his mind as he let out more purrs soon after.

Louis always liked hearing Agata’s purrs. It made him feel comfortable. There were a couple of times in the past where they caused him to fall asleep. There was just something so rhythmic and safe about them. He knew it had something to do with knowing that Agata was happy and safe enough to let them out. The thought alone always made Louis feel something inside. Something that he never felt before with anyone else, contentness.

“I might take a nap.” Louis whispered. Agata quickly agreed with a small nod of his head. He pushed Louis down onto the bed, lying on top of him, and then he nuzzled his head into Louis’s neck. If Agata hadn’t been so upset, Louis would’ve complained, but he figured he could keep quiet for now.

Louis just laid there, feeling more and more sleepy as Agata kept purring on top of him. Even though Agata weighed a lot compared to Louis, the deer started to find it somewhat comfortable. Like a weighted blanket that gave out small vibrations.

Then his eyes slowly closed as he felt himself drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Text

“No! Why the hell would I do that?” Dolph sounded upset at what Louis had just insinuated. Louis didn’t want to defend Dolph, but the deer had just made some hefty and relatively baseless accusations against him.

Louis was about to speak when Agata spoke up for him, “He’s not accusing you of anything. He was just asking. We’re both pretty tired after, um, everything, and Lou has—“ Agata looked like he wanted to kick himself. Knowing the lion, he could actually commit to the thought if he dwelled on it. The error the Congo Lion made was obvious, he called Louis the nickname he gave him as soon as they started dating. Louis never allowed Agata to call him that in front of the others. He knew that some of them, mostly Free, would try to call him that as well. If he denied them that privilege, they’d question why Agata gets special treatment and why he is allowed to call him that. Though now that didn’t matter. Their relationship was outed to everyone. Even with that, it was clear that Agata was getting confused with their boundaries now since things changed. “Louis has already been stressed over a lot of things. He’s just trying to find out who’s doing this, so that means questioning everyone, even people he doesn’t think did it.”

Louis had to hand it to Agata; he was quick with his words. He did notice the youngest lion hanging around Dope recently. Maybe the lighter-furred lion was rubbing off of him.

Dope. Oh, how Louis wished it was Dope in front of him instead of Dolph. Dope was easier to talk to and less aggressive. Sure, Louis knew the lion could manipulate almost anyone into doing anything. And sure, he was worried that Dope would one day use his skills against the deer himself, but he supposed that just came with the territory of a negotiator.

Dope would never raise his voice at Louis or look like he wanted to slap him. He knew he shouldn’t compare the two, but it was hard not to when his brain was screaming at him that Dope was the safe one and Dolph was the not-safe one. It honestly didn’t help that they had similar names. His brain, by default, wanted to pick out their differences solely based on the fact that they shared such similar names.

“Then maybe he shouldn’t word it like an accusation!” Dolph’s words pulled Louis back to the present moment. It was becoming evident that Agata’s efforts weren’t working as well as the Red Deer had hoped they would. Dolph was always way kinder to Agata. Louis had to assume that the argument they had earlier only tainted their relationship to get to this point.

Agata started again, “Dolph—“

“No, he is not going to use you against me.” Dolph spat out.

“Just like you’re using Ibuki?” Louis knew saying that wouldn’t make the situation better, but he was done trying.

“What?” Agata sounded confused while Dolph stood there. His only response was to narrow his eyes.

“I know about you two,” Louis said, feeling those nasty bubbles of anxiety rise in his chest. “I’ve seen you both. And I’ve seen how he treats you. Letting you off the hook, where if anyone else had done the same thing, he would make sure they wouldn’t forget.”

Most of that was a lie. He only saw Ibuki letting Dolph off the hook once. Dolph had been crying. Louis didn’t know why, but it seemed like Ibuki did. The older of the two told Dolph to forget about it as he began comforting the other. Of course, the deer had witnessed this without the two lions knowing. He never mentioned knowing about that incident since it happened before he knew just how intimate the two could get. Recently, it was the only thing he could think about. That, and whoever was behind those texts.

“You’re dating Ibuki, yet you ask me if I’m actually sure I like guys?” Agata sounded hurt. Louis didn’t know the specific details of their argument, but he did know that Dolph said some condescending things to Agata. The way Agata worded it was like Dolph viewed the Congo Lion like he was a confused teenage, rather than a lion in his mid-twenties who knew he was gay for at least a decade now.

“I’m not dating him.” Dolph denied. Louis found the denial stupid and rather juvenile for the older lion. He witnessed them with his own two eyes. Either Dolph was the world’s worst liar, or Louis was missing something.

“You didn’t look like you weren’t dating him.” Louis continued pushing Dolph on the matter. He preferred being the one on the offense. It was easier to have control over the conversation.

“No, we’re not dating. We aren’t ready for that yet.” Dolph admitted. The way he looked slightly vulnerable almost made Louis feel bad.

“Okay, but you guys are acting like a couple, no?” Agata asked. Louis already knew the answer to that. He didn’t feel like answering for Dolph, wanting the lion to give Agata the answer himself. It was the least Dolph could do.

Dolph gave a small nod that was followed by a sigh. The deer was happy that Dolph finally gave a simple answer.

The hurt returned to the Congo Lion’s voice when he talked again, “Then why were you making it sound like loving someone who’s the same gender as you is bad?”

“It’s not. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I can protect myself.”

“I don’t doubt that, but sometimes shit happens. I’ve seen it; it always comes when you least expect it.”

The room soon became overtaken with silence as nobody wanted to speak up. Louis decided to speak up anyway, “I didn’t mean to sound like I was accusing you of anything.”

That was the closest Louis could get to an apology, and the look in Dolph’s eyes told the deer that the older lion knew that as well.

“It’s fine. I might’ve jumped to some conclusions too.” Louis knew that was the closest thing he’d get to an apology from Dolph.

Another spell of silence fell over the room again. Louis and Dolph both made their peace, but it looked like Agata had something else he wanted to say.

“You’re not against us?” Agata asked anxiously. Dolph’s approval was the last thing on Louis’s mind, though he wasn’t against hearing the answer.

“I’m not. I just want you to be safe, "He then looked at Louis. “Both of you to be safe.”

Before Louis knew it, Agata had his arms wrapped around the older lion in a rather aggressive-looking hug. The aggressiveness was verbally confirmed when Dolph let out a light wheeze. From the looks of it, Agata appeared to be in the process of crushing Dolph, starting with his lungs.

“Okay—“ A gasp fell out of Dolph. “No need to break my ribs. I told you I approved.”

Agata let go, mumbling a quick apology, and had the biggest, goofiest grin on his face while he did so. Louis found his expression to be endearing. The way his cub spots would stretch while his eyes lit up. He needed more of that in his life.

“It’s good, but maybe don’t try to kill me the next time I say something nice.” If Dolph’s small smile was anything to go by, he wasn’t affected by Agata’s not-so attempted murder. Agata wasn’t either, as he wrapped his arms around Dolph’s waist again. He was gentle this time. Dolph hugged the younger lion back, snaking his arms around the younger lion’s shoulders. Louis looked away from the two, not wanting to intrude on their personal moment.

“I need to talk to Dope.” Louis stated this while he made his way out the door. Dolph only gave a small hum in response. Agata nuzzled his head into Dolph’s shoulder, physically ignoring Louis.

Louis didn’t mind Agata ignoring him. He already had Dope on his mind. He was sure the lion would be in his room. Dope was typically in his room around this time, so Louis decided to check there first. He luckily didn’t need to check anywhere else because the moment he knocked on the lion’s door, he heard some shuffling.

“Yes?” The deer heard Dope’s voice through the door. The way the shuffling continued and there was a certain tone to his voice made it sound like Dope was doing something he shouldn’t have been doing.

“Can I come in?” Louis asked with a gentle voice.

A muffled noise escaped from Dope. Which was quickly followed by a giggle that belonged to someone else. It sounded like it belonged to Hino, which became more obvious as Hino spoke in place of the younger lion, “Yeah!”

When the Red Deer opened up the door, he saw Hino sitting on the loveseat in the room. Dope sat next to him, being perpendicular and having his legs over Hino’s lap. The younger lion looked slightly flustered, while Hino didn’t show any expressive emotion besides some sort of joy. Louis would’ve thought he was intruding on something if not for the fact that Hino looked so calm with the deer being in the room with them.

Dope’s room was cozier than Hino’s room. He had a lot more green than Louis was suspecting, but he wasn’t opposed to the color. This made him realize that he hadn’t been in the room since he got it remodeled. He had light green walls and dark brown wooden flooring. His room was also littered with plants. Some plants hung from baskets on the ceiling, some were by the window, and others were on his desk. A desk that was currently cluttered with papers that looked like some sort of notes that Dope wrote down. He had a brown and wooden storage bed with pull-out drawers and green bedding. Hino was noticeable in the younger lion’s room, being the only visible thing with pink on it.

Louis then looked back at the two with skeptical eyes. He was sure they weren’t doing anything before he came in. Otherwise, he wouldn’t understand why the lion would invite him in so easily. Although he did want to be sure.

“You two weren’t doing anything?” Louis asked while he took a cautious step forward.

“Not really. Dopie was just telling me how pretty I am.” Hino said so confidently, which was the opposite of how Dope currently looked. The younger lion kept his head slightly hidden from Louis’s eyes and he didn’t say anything to add on to Hino’s statement.

“Hm. Okay, well, I needed to talk to you, Dope.” Louis moved on from Hino’s words. He’d rather not hear the intimate details of what Dope exactly thought about his current partner.

“If you’re going to ask if I’m the one spreading those texts, I’m not. I would never do anything to hurt Hino or any of you guys, for that matter.” Dope stated it bluntly. His flustered appearance was completely gone, and the only evidence of its existence was Louis’s memory.

Louis already figured that Dope wasn’t the one. He was far too passive compared to the rest of the Shishigumi, plus the bond he had with Hino was strong and genuine. Louis knew nobody could build bonds like that while being dishonest. If they could, Dope didn’t seem like the person who would do that. And if he did, then Louis would need to completely reevaluate his characterization of the younger lion, followed by the rest of the lions in his pride.

“I know. I was sure it wasn’t you. However, I’m asking everyone for that extra layer of security and judgment.” Louis decided to take a couple more steps towards the two lions while he spoke. He made sure to be slow and careful with his steps, not wanting to intimidate or scare the pair.

“That’s fair. I would too if I were in your position,” Dope said, turning his body slightly towards Louis. “How’s Agata holding up? I haven’t seen him since—you know—and the only thing Hino told me was "sad,” and that isn’t really telling much.”

“Hey! He is sad! He’s just a poor little guy.” Hino defended himself.

“He is not a poor little guy.” Louis came to Dope’s or Agata’s defense. He couldn’t really tell whose because Hino didn’t seem like he was defending his actions against Dope, more like he was belittling Agata. Though Agata did like to be pampered. Louis couldn’t tell if Agata would mind being portrayed as a helpless little guy, though some part of Louis thought he would mind. In Louis’s mind, nobody would want to look that way, but Agata had baffled the deer more than once in the past with similar things. He wouldn’t put it past the Congo Lion.

“You should see him when he’s reg—“ Hino cut himself off. “Wait, I don’t think you know that yet, and it’s not my place to tell you.”

“Know what?” Louis quirked a brow. Agata didn’t keep too many secrets from Louis. Most were the rough details of his past, or whenever he had those night terrors that were so bad, he needed to wake Louis up so he could hold Agata in his arms. Agata wasn’t that willing to talk about either of those things, and the deer was fine without knowing the dirty details, as long as Agata was fine without telling as well.

“I just said—“ Hino got cut off again, but this time it wasn’t because of himself.

Dope had cut the older lion off, “He doesn’t know. I asked Agata about it a couple days ago, and unless he told Louis after, he does not know about it at all.”

Louis figured that if Agata hadn’t told him something yet, then he shouldn’t pry. It was Agata’s business, and if he didn’t want to make it Louis’s business, then he should respect that.

Yet he couldn’t help asking just once, “You can’t tell me?”

“I don’t want to break his trust. Plus, like Hino said, it’s not our place.” Dope’s response was exactly what Louis expected. He would say he didn’t know why he tried, but he could’ve gotten something. Maybe in some alternate universe, just not this one.

“That’s fine,” Louis sighed. Contrary to his words, his brain wanted to still be focused on what Hino was trying to say earlier. He supposed he’d have to ask Agata about that later. Louis decided to finally answer Dope’s question, “Agata is feeling better. He’s with Dolph right now.”

“Talking to Dolph is good! Did he finally get out of his room? I know he was in a bit of a depressive slump.” Hino seemed relieved to know that Agata was acting like normal again and not hiding in his room anymore.

Louis nodded, confirming Hino’s words. Dope also looked relieved to know that, but he didn’t say anything to let it be known verbally.

Hino softly patted the open seat next to him. It was the perfect spot for Louis to sit since Dope and Hino pretty much took up one cushion and left the other to be filled. Louis would’ve rejected the older lion’s offer, but his legs started moving on their own, making their way towards the two. He sat without saying a word. The other two probably preferred it that way because Dope turned the television on to some movie that Louis couldn’t be bothered to actually pay attention to.

The deer was surprised when Hino gently pulled Louis’s head into his shoulder. Louis became more surprised when he didn’t try pulling away. He felt comfortable and didn’t mind leaning against Hino, especially if that was what the white-furred lion wanted.

He guessed he could take a break for a little while. Everyone knew he needed one.

Chapter Text

Louis entered their garage after cautiously peering in. It took him a little bit of searching to find the lion he was looking for. He went to the lion’s room, all the main areas of the house, and even Sabu’s room, who was the lion he was close to. When Louis entered the garage, he saw the lion he was looking for, Jinma.

The older lion had the upper half of his body under a car that had its front two tires up on some car ramps. He was lying on a flat mechanic creeper, which made it easier for him to lay down under the car.

Louis recalled Jinma getting the gift from Sabu for his recently passed birthday. He had needed a new one, and Sabu got him one that not only worked better than his old one, and it came with a matching tool box. The way Jinma’s eyes lit up when he received the gift almost made Louis question if there was something else going on between the two lions. Louis quickly dismissed the thoughts, as he was sure he was just projecting his sexuality onto others. Jinma had never expressed interest in anything other than women, and he didn’t exactly know where Sabu stood, but he was sure the eldest lion was also straight.

“Jinma?” Louis called out to the lion once he was close enough to the car.

“Uh, yeah?” Jinma questioned. He slid himself out from under the car. He had gloves on that were covered with some sort of oil.

“I didn’t catch you at all bad time, did I?” Louis asked, not wanting to go into an interrogation if Jinma had other things on his mind.

“Not at all! I just put the oil filter and plug back in, and now I need to put new oil in, but it’s nothing I can’t do while talking.” Jinma spoke while he stood up. He then took off his gloves and grabbed a bottle of some sort of car oil.

Louis nodded. He didn’t understand the first thing when it came to cars. He knew how to pump his own gas after Ibuki taught him when they were out one day. He figured as long as he knew how to pump gas, he’d be fine. Even if Dolph chastised him about learning how to change a tire, in case something happened to them. Louis rarely drove himself, and even less without anybody else, so he came to the conclusion that others around him would just do it for him. If that didn’t end up happening, he could just call a towing service and send it to a mechanic. After all, he had the money.

“Yeah, you do all that. I only wanted to ask you something.” Louis stated.

“Yeah, you can ask me anything!” Jinma gave Louis a confirmation. He started putting in the oil for his car, slowly filling it up and using a utility funnel so he wouldn’t drop any oil.

“So, I’m assuming you’ve heard about Agata and I, and I was—“ Louis got cut off.

“No? Agata and you?” Jinma asked with a puzzled look before his eyes shot wide open. “Wait, like romantically? Like dating? Like together?” His excessive use of the word “like” started reminding the deer of Hino.

He had fallen asleep with Hino and Dope on the love seat. Though he wasn’t the only one, Dope also fell asleep with Louis there. When the deer had woken up, Hino was the only one who had stayed awake, and a drastically different movie was playing.

He questioned why Hino let him sleep for so long once he’d seen the time on his phone. At first, Hino teased Louis by saying he just looked so cute sleeping. This prompted Louis to glare at him. His glare didn’t seem to do much as Hino began to laugh. He soon told Louis the truth, that he looked so peaceful sleeping and that it was obvious that he needed some rest. Louis was going to give him another glare, but he couldn’t find it in him to glare again. So instead, he asked Hino if he had any suspicions about who could be sending out the texts. Hino told Louis that Jinma loved hearing gossip, but he didn’t really like spreading it. Louis thought that was as good of a lead he could get from Hino. Then he left to search for Jinma.

“Yes, we are. It’s been public for about two days now,” Louis narrowed his eyes, wondering if Jinma’s lack of knowledge was genuine or an act. “I thought everyone would know by now. The text was sent to everyone.”

“Oh, I rarely check my phone. I’m only on it once or twice a week. Sabu usually informs me of those texts, but, uh, “ Jinma finished pouring the oil into his car and pulled the dipstick out of the car a little, not taking it out completely.

“But?” Louis quirked a brow at Jinma.

“Sometimes we get into arguments. Usually they’re not bad, but this one was kinda harsh. So we haven’t been talking much the past three days.” Jinma hesitantly explained. Louis noted that he looked somewhat embarrassed, though he decided against questioning Jinma about it.

“I see,” Louis started, taking a couple steps closer to Jinma. “Then it’s a safe assumption to make if I were to assume you weren’t the one behind the texts?”

Jinma pulled out the dipstick and cleaned it before answering, “Super safe. I wouldn’t ever spread gossip. While I do like hearing it, I don’t know how true certain things are, and I’d rather not be the reason why someone believes in something false. And if I did spread it, I would never do it behind a screen.” Jinma explained.

His lack of gossiping with Louis and the other lions, paired with the fact that he was rarely on his phone, made Louis believe that he wasn’t the one behind those texts.

“Do you possibly have any idea who could be behind them?” Louis asked calmly, contrary to how he felt on the inside. He was starting to get frustrated. There were only three others to question. One of whom he was certain didn’t send the texts; the other, whom he felt uncomfortable talking to; and the other, whom he didn’t want to talk to at all.

“Not really, but I did once hear Free talk about Miguel taking steroids. Then, about a month later, the text came out. I first assumed Miguel had told him, which then made no sense because he’s not close to Free like that. So then I thought that Free was just saying things that happened to be true. He’s down that in the past about other things, like Dope being bisexual or Agata being abused.“ Jinma explained. He put the dipstick back in the car before pulling it out again, checking it before he put it back in with a satisfied sigh.

The deer did think that was odd. Free does say the weirdest things like that all the time, but he didn’t know that Free had ever been right, outside of the incident where he claimed Agata had been abused. Though Free had said it in a joking manner, Agata said he liked mint ice cream, which prompted Free to say Agata had to have been abused if he liked that sort of ice cream, and Agata had been abused. Nobody took Free seriously when he said that, and he was sure nobody took him seriously when he said those other things.

Louis nodded before he mumbled, “Thanks.”

He almost thought the older lion didn’t hear him until Jinma gave him a small smile.

Neither said another word as Louis began to walk out of the garage. He barely had any time to collect his thoughts as he saw Sabu right outside the door. The way he was right outside the door made it seem like he was trying to listen to them.

“Ah, sorry.” Sabu apologized before he held his hands up defensively.

The eavesdropping started to make the eldest lion look really suspicious. Louis was about to question him, but before he could, Sabu started speaking first.

“I really like him.” His words sounded rushed, like he was anxious.

“I know,” Louis’s tone became more stern. Had he finally caught the one behind the texts? He really didn’t think Sabu was going to be the one behind them, but he was willing to take anything for an answer. He was getting desperate. “What were you doing?”

“I don’t know. I wanted to talk to him, but then I heard you in there, and then I thought about just turning around and leaving, but then I thought he might say something to you about whether he still liked me or not.” Sabu’s words were still rushed while he rambled.

“Okay? He still likes you, of course. I don’t think one bad argument would make him hate someone.” Louis was now getting suspicious of things other than who was behind those texts. The way Jinma had talked about their argument and how Sabu was currently talking about it made it sound like they were more than friends.

This wasn’t any of Louis’s business, yet he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you two dating?”

“What?” Sabu’s eyes went wide. The guilt written all over his face told the deer his answer, confirming his suspicions.

“I’m not going to tell anyone.” Louis narrowed his eyes slightly.

“He’s, um, still working on that internalized homophobia. We haven’t told anyone about us because of that. Oh Rex, and if he knows about you and Agata being outed—Oh Rex—“ Sabu went toward the door. Louis grabbed Sabu’s wrist to prevent him from entering the garage.

“Wait, I just have two questions.” Louis stood there with Sabu’s wrist in hand.

“Ask fast.” Sabu looked back at the deer.

“Okay. First, you’re not the one behind the texts, right? Second, do you have any idea who could be behind them, and do you know anything about Free saying things out loud that later end up being confirmed in the texts?” Louis asked the eldest lion his two questions.

“No, and no. Free? Yeah, he said something about Miguel while Jinma and I were on the couch. I don’t remember what it was exactly, but a little while later, Jinma freaked out about it because he didn’t take Free seriously, and it was something bad.” Sabu answered rapidly.

Louis let go of his wrist, letting him go to Jinma in the garage. The eldest lion wasted no time making his way into the next room.

He didn’t expect to learn that Jinma and Sabu were a thing, but he wasn’t against it. He didn’t know how the two hid it so well or how long they’ve been together. Oh well, that was something for later. Right now, he needed to turn his attention to Free.

Louis made his way to Free’s room. He was standing right outside his room, with the door closed. He knew he needed to knock but was hesitant to do so. He wanted to say he was sure Free wasn’t behind those texts, but with him narrowing down his suspect list to only two lions, Free and Ibuki. He had more doubt over Ibuki being behind it than Free.

Before he could knock on the door, it opened. Louis’s eyes were drawn to Free’s hair. Which was down for once. He rarely saw the lion without his hair styled, and personally, he preferred the hair not being styled.

“Hey! Louis!” Free greeted the deer before he wrapped him up in a big hug. Louis wanted to say something, but he couldn’t find his voice. He just stayed quiet while Free continued to hold him tightly. “Need something?” The lion asked.

Louis spoke once Free let him go, “I’m going to be blunt about this, but I need to know if you’re behind those texts.” The deer cringed at the desperation in his voice, but he needed to figure out who was behind those texts. If it wasn’t Free, then some other lion had to have been lying. He would take away their phones if it came to that point, but he’d prefer to find out on his own.

Free began laughing a rather loud laugh. “You think I’m behind it? Oh, Rex. Boss, that’s kinda, uh, stupid. What would I even gain for spreading shit about others?” Free continued to laugh while he spoke.

“Stop!” Louis could tell he was losing it. “I questioned everyone else!”

Louis felt stupid. Free was right. Why the hell would Louis think that Free did it? He never watched the show, didn’t care about gossip, and was definitely too stupid to find accurate gossip. Jinma was right about Free just saying things, and some of them happen to be true.

“It’s fine, man. You’ve been looking stressed as hell. I think you need a break.” Free offered.

The deer shook his head, not wanting to take a break. Though when Free suddenly picked him up, Louis knew he was going to be forced into taking one. He was too emotionally exhausted to attempt to fight back. So he let Free lay him down on the couch in his room and put a blanket over him too.

He supposed he could take a small break. Just for a minute.

Chapter Text

Louis kept his face hidden in the crook of Agata’s neck and shoulder. He would say he was lucky that Agata’s mane was so thick that he couldn’t feel his tears, but after he let out a few sobs, he knew Agata was aware of his current tears.

Agata’s hand went up to the back of Louis’s head. The lion ran his fingers through the deer’s short fur, slowly petting his head. He made no effort to get up to further comfort Louis. Agata did like to be laid on, so it didn’t surprise him that much.

“I got you, babe,” Agata cooed while he kept rubbing Louis’s head. Louis would’ve said something against Agata calling him babe; he always did. Though when he opened his mouth, the only thing that came out was a sob, he quickly closed it. “It’ll be fine. You don’t need to say anything. Just relax on me, okay?”

Louis felt so helpless and like a fool. Someone had to have lied to him. He knew neither Agata nor Ibuki would be behind the texts. Agata would’ve been outing himself, and Ibuki cared too much. That only meant that someone lied to him, and he believed in it. His single goal was to know who it was. If he kept things going at the same pace that they had been going, then he wasn’t going to find out who.

“I-I,” Louis wanted to hit himself for stuttering. “I still need to talk to Ibu-Ibuki.” Louis hated the way his voice sounded so small and insecure. Typically, he could keep his emotions in, but the Congo Lion somehow always got Louis to express himself, even when the deer didn’t want to. It was like Agata had put Louis under a spell. Louis wouldn’t allow anyone else to see it, and half the time, he didn’t want Agata to see it either.

“To ask him if he’s the one? I don’t think he is.” Agata’s voice was soft and warm. It comforted the younger one.

“He just wants to talk to me, and I’ve been delaying it for the past three days.” Louis explained. Agata nodded before he put his other hand on the small of Louis’s back, pulling him in even closer. Louis made no effort to move away from the lion, feeling more comfort the closer he was to Agata. He truly was in love with Agata because he wouldn’t be like this with anyone else.

“Yeah, you probably should talk to him.” Agata agreed before he nuzzled his face into Louis’s face. Louis jumped a little before he allowed himself to nuzzle the lion back. This got a purr out of the older lion. Louis always loved hearing his purrs. His rumbling and comforting purrs.

Louis nodded, agreeing with Agata. The older male started leaving a few small kisses on the deer’s face. He closed his eyes, enjoying each and every one of Agata’s kisses. Agata whispered sweet things to Louis in between kisses, “So sweet. So perfect. So pretty. All mine. So adorable.”

Louis felt a rush of hormones, especially oxytocin, while Agata kissed him all over his face and complimented him. He desperately needed this, and he was glad he was finally getting it.

He then sat himself up, looking down at Agata, who was staring right back up at him with a wide, toothy grin. Louis gave him a small smile back and reached down his cheek to pet it a little.

“I think I’m going to talk to Ibuki.” Louis whispered.

Agata grabbed Louis’s hand and kissed the tips of his fingers before he spoke, “Want me to go with?”

Louis thought about it for a second and said, “No, I think it’ll be better if I go by myself.”

“You’ll come back after?” A hint of insecurity rang throughout Agata's voice. It made Louis want to ask the lion about it, but he decided to hold back.

“Of course.” Louis reassured the older male.

“You promise?” Agata didn't seem too reassured, despite Louis's words.

“Agata, I’ll come back.” Louis tilted his head while he spoke to Agata, giving him the softest eyes while he did so.

“Hm. Okay, but you better mean it or I’ll cry.” Agata giggled while he tried talking. Louis could only roll his eyes while he got off the bed and went out of the room. He started in Ibuki’s room. When he didn’t find him in his room, he made his way to the library. Soon enough, he found the lion sitting there on the couch and reading a book.

“Ibuki.” Louis took a couple steps towards the lion. He began to feel a steady rise in anxiety that was only growing with each step he took.

“Yes?” Ibuki put his book down after he answered. He settled his eyes on the deer.

“I know you’re not the one behind the texts. I also know you want to talk to me. But I swear—“ Louis took in an unsteady breath. “Someone is lying. Someone has to be. I questioned everyone. Unless you’re actually behind them.”

“I’m not. Did anyone seem like they might’ve been lying? Or was there anyone who didn’t have a strong defense?” Ibuki asked, trying to help the deer with his investigation.

Louis was trying to remember all the conversations he had. He did have some suspicion about who could be lying. Like Hino or Dope because they both watched the show together. Or possibly Free or Sabu, since they both didn’t really have a good defense. Though he doubted it was any of them. He didn’t want the reality to be that one of his lions could’ve lied to him. He was supposed to trust them. They were his pride, his second family, or so he thought. Maybe he had been a fool all along.

Suddenly, both Louis’s and Ibuki’s phones went off. When Ibuki grabbed his phone, Louis went to grab his own. The notification they read was from a text message. It read, ‘Look what the cat dragged in. Spotted: love, heartbreak, scandals, and drama. It was a fun time while it lasted, but all good things must come to an end. x.o.x.o. Gossip Free.’

Louis couldn’t believe it. It was Free who was behind those texts. The fucker had the gall to lie to him too. He felt so betrayed and humiliated. How could Free have done this to him? Out of everyone, Free was the one who had to have been hurting and lying to him.

“I’m going to go find him.” Ibuki stated this while getting up from his seat.

Though it didn’t seem like anybody needed to do any searching as Free entered the library, coming to Ibuki and Louis on his own.

“Listen before either of you two say anything; I didn’t mean for it to be like this. I was bored one day, and Hino and I were watching that damned show. Then I thought that it would be fun to do something similar. I mean, if you remember the first couple of texts, they were over small and stupid things. Like Dolph not liking meat from birds, or Agata spending almost twelve hours grinding at a video game one day, or Jinma messing up while working on a car. Obviously, it got out of control, and I really didn’t mean for it to be like this. And after what I did to you, I realized I should stop.” Free gave a whole speech while explaining himself.

“Free, I swear—“ Louis cut himself off when Ibuki pulled out one of the spray bottles that was lying around and sprayed the younger cat with water. Free jumped and began to run away from Ibuki, while Ibuki started chasing him and spritzing him with more and more water.

“Stop! I apologized! I stopped! I won’t ever do it again!” Free screeched while he only got more drenched with water.

“Give me your phone, and I’ll stop!” Ibuki offered. He held the water bottle up in a threatening manner, as if letting Free know that if he didn't give him his phone, he would continue to suffer.

Free practically chucked his phone at him, obviously wanting anything but water sprayed at him. Ibuki caught his phone with ease.

“You’re grounded.” The older lion stated this before he pocketed Free’s phone.

When Free opened his mouth, Ibuki held the bottle back up, reminding him of the power he held with the bottle.

“Hey, you know what?” Free shook his head. “Fair, honestly, but you don’t need to treat me like a child. I was just a bored man.”

“That’s the equivalent of a child.” The Maasai Lion retorted.

Free only shrugged before he walked out of the room, leaving the two alone together again. Ibuki turned to Louis. Both of them stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. When Ibuki walked over to him and loosely wrapped his arms around the deer, hugging him, they both still stayed quiet. Even when Louis returned the hug. The only sound that could be heard was the cool air coming out of the vent.